By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Apparently unsatisfied with his overall performance with his team in the year under review, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has overlooked Super Falcons head coach to the last FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand, Randy Waldrum as he has failed to make the final list of the prestigious CAF Coach of the Year (women) category.
No Nigerian coach was deemed good enough for the men and women’s Coach of the Year Award, instead those who made the final three shortlist of CAF Coach of the Year (women) award include Reynald Pedros, former Head Coach of Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses who led them to the second position in the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and qualified the country for her first FIFA Women’s World Cup final where the debutants played in the round of 16.
The second nominee for the award is Head Coach of Banyana Banyana of South Africa, Desiree Ellis who won the award last year following her ability to guide her native South Africa to win the 2022 WAFCON title in Morocco and also led the team to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand where the South Africans reached Round of 16 before crashing out.
Ellis countryman, Jerry Tshabalala of Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa who recently led his club, Mamelodi Sundowns FC to win the CAF Women’s Champions League in Cote d’Ivoire again after leading the same club to win the CAFWCL trophy two years ago.
Sadly, Waldrum who made it to the second round of the nomination list alongside Mehdi El Qaichouri of Sporting Club of Casablanca, Reynald Pedros (Atlas Lionesses, Morocco), Desiree Ellis (Banyana Banyana, South Africa) and Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns, SouthAfrica) could not make the final list.
A closer look at the reasons behind his inability to be among the final three nominees for the CAF Coach of the Year (women) award may be his inability to lead Nigeria to retain the coveted WAFCON trophy which was won for Nigeria by his predecessor Thomas Dennerby in the 2018 WAFCON final in Ghana.
Under Waldrum’s watch, Nigeria suffered three straight losses in Morocco as the three-time defending champions, having won the previous 3 editions in 2014, 2016 and 2018, lost 1-2 to South Africa in the group stage, defeated by Morocco 4-5 on penalties in the semi-final tie, making it the first time neither Nigeria or Equatorial Guinea featured in the final.
Nigeria also lost 0-1 to Zambia in the Third place play-off, no thanks to Chiamaka Nnadozie’s own goal. It was Nigeria’s second worst finish in the history of the competition after the Giant of Africa finished in the fourth place in 2012 edition in Equatorial Guinea and in Third place in 2008 WAFCON also held in Equatorial Guinea.
Again, expectations that Nigeria will go far in the last FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand disappeared like the early morning dews as crashed out in the Round of 16 as
Waldrum could not take the country to the podium finish nor reach the quarter-final stage which the former Super Falcons head coach late Ismaila Mabo took the team to in the 1991 edition.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Deborah Abiodun who are in the final shortlists for CAF awards, which ceremony will hold on Monday, December 11, 2023, at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, Morocco.
Osimhen will contend with Egypt’s Mohammed Salah and Ashraf Hakimi of Morocco for the CAF Player of the Year men’s title, while Oshoala has South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Barbara Banda of Zambia as opponents in the women’s category.
Africa’s football governing body, CAF, released the final three candidates in all the categories during the week, with Super Falcons’ Chiamaka Nnadozie listed in the Goalkeeper of the Year category. She will contend with Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi and Andile Dlamini of South Africa for the crown. READ ALSO:
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Also, Super Falcons’ promising midfielder Deborah Abiodun is one of the contenders for the Young Player of the Year (women) award, where she has Ghana’s Comfort Yeboah and Nesryne El Chad of Morocco as opponents.
The Super Falcons are listed in the Women National Team of the Year category alongside Morocco and South Africa, Nigeria’s inability to retain the African title and not making it to the podium in Morocco and at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup final will definitely cost the country the award.
CAF explained that the ultimate winner of each category is decided through votes from a panel consisting of its technical committee, media professionals from member associations, head coaches and captains of member associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the interclub competitions.
